Is Destiny a Matter of Chance or Choice?

The scientists, like Isaac Newton, believed that there was a universal law and everything was ordered in line with this universal law. Since everything in an order, the future can be predicted because it was already arranged by the universal law. This is also called destiny or fate and it means that people believe their role in this world is given and they cannot change it. However, people’s life is not destined by a universal law or by God. With the new discoveries in science, it has been claimed that 18th century scientists were wrong in their view on universal law. The chaotic scientists of the 20th century claimed that the chaotic system is random and not related with destiny because any change in the initial condition will affect the behaviour of the system. In this respect, this essay will firstly explain different views on universe; secondly it will demonstrate that is not a destiny that elucidates events of our life but choices and chance.

When Isaac Newton discovered the law of the gravitation in the 18th century, he realized that there was a force that was responsible for this, and for the other movements in the universe, like the force that holds the moon in her orbit. ( Newton, Determinism and Chaos, pg 1) In this regard it was then considered that there were fixed physical laws which allow the future to be predicted. In his article “Law and Disorder” R.C.L state that the 18th century scientists viewed the universe as a “gigantic clock” where everything happens according to certain laws so that prediction of the future of any object or system is possible. As stated in the article: “ … if you only knew all of the initial conditions and how the clock worked you could predict what would happen at any point in time”.(Law and Disorder, R.C.L, p 2). They also believed that after God created the universe, God did not interfere with laws. The outcome of this belief is the development of new beliefs excluding God such as, nihilism, existentialism,...

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...and the pursuit of happiness."-- "The Declaration of Independence", 1776 --Thomas Jefferson. Many people believe that their future is a matter of chance and they don't have the control over it. But these are only pagan faiths. We all were born equal and good; there is no such a notion as a bad baby. Therefore, man's future life is a consequence of his own choices. All people are different and thus they have different lives. Destiny is the flow of the circumstances; the predetermined course of events but entirely our actions can foreordain it. Only the right choice can lead to wanted and expected destiny.
There are still people who believe that their destiny is decided long before their birth, they think they have no connection with their fortune. Nowadays these are only pagan beliefs. In ancient Egypt, they thought so and they even had some gods of fate. For example the goddess Lakshmi, who, like Hathor, was a powerful goddess of beauty, good fortune and benevolence. With the penetration of Christianity in human's life, these faiths are beginning to die. Presently most people think their destiny is everything but a matter of chance.
All people were born equal and good and their future depends only on them, on their choices in life, on their ability to cope with difficulties without losing their own values. A great...

...Goodwin
31 May 2013
Mrs. Brooks
American Literature
Chances and Choices
When men went to war is the past, it usually wasn’t by choice, but by chance. During a time of war some were excited to defend their country while others were not. In other words… some went by choice while others went by chance. We make our choices, our chances perspire. Good may come from both, in living what we call, “The American Dream.” In life nothing is planned as much as we believe in our plans and desire for them… what’s meant to happen will happen. We plan things and then reason with our own selves and in the end we end up making choices and taking chances. As with the soldiers in, The Things They Carried none of them knew their fate at war and all of them had the plans to return. That is when you need to allow fate to decide and do what you can, and what you are meant to do.
In The Things They Carried Tim O’Brien dedicates a chapter to his story of the man he killed. Choice at war is gruesome and sometimes morally are wrong but what has to be done… has to be done. During your while at war you make a choice, “kill or be killed.” You are faced with a choice to kill or suffer the chance that you yourself will be killed. You can accuse someone of being the corrupt guy or someone of being the...

...A Matter of Choice
Ziad Chemali
UofC continuing education
Hatem Hammad
15/03/13
Women are the ultimate symbol of fertility and nurture for the human race, and life without them is meaningless. They are the main source of love, sensitivity, and warmth. Women can handle anything thrown at them; for instance, during World War II, as men were conscripted into the armed forces, wives were left to manage their families alone. At the same time, women entered the workforce to fill the gaps in the market left by their soldier husbands (Vaizey, 2011).
Nowadays, most of the working women are also mothers, which is a modern and common matter of choice. In 1960, less than 20 % of mothers with preschool-aged children were working, but by 1990, this portion had increased to about 60% (Leibowits &amp; Klermon, 1995).Work is beneficial for mothers, besides the money they make, work offers them important opportunities and resources that may promote parenting and a sense of well-being. Working minimizes social isolation and helps develop and refine skills like problem solving, dealing with diverse sets of people, and working with a team. These abilities provide people with the kinds of environments and experiences that they need to do well in the world (Buehler&amp; O’Brien, 2011). However, there is a greater price to pay as a society if women focussed on their own lives and neglected their responsibilities as...

...Essay Question:
Critical response: 1000wds
How successful have the texts you have studied been in presenting ideas about choice? In your response refer to Antony and Cleopatra and two related texts of your own choosing.
You may use one related text that was studied in class if you wish.
Choice is defined as an act of selecting or making a decision when faced with two or more possibilities. Chance is defined as a possibility of something happening. To be able to choose something is a much broader concept in life then leaving something down to chance, having choices is something everyone takes for granted yet everyone seems to be constantly over analysing the possibilities of chance. A universal paradox states “you are free to choose, but you are not free from the consequences of your choice”. These ideas are clearly explored in Shakespeare’s 1600 play Antony and Cleopatra, Gil Junger’s 1999 movie 10 things I hate about you and Tony Lintermans poem “The Escape from Youth” as their protagonists make irrational decisions and struggle to deal with the consequences of their choices.
Choices made by a character can be strongly consequential when their choice may hurt or affect other individuals. This theory is clearly explored in Antony and Cleopatra when Antony is completely controlled by his desire to be with Cleopatra and is...

...By Choice or Chance?
The Boat
English 12
Alex McDonald The Boat written by Alistair MacLeod, is a story told from the perspective of a man looking back on his life. It's about the difficult lifestyle that fishermen in Nova Scotia lead. The story is told about the man's childhood, focusing on this father and the fishing lifestyle he has grown up in. The story really focuses in on the father-son relationship, where the father would prefer his son getting an education and not having to live the dangerous lifestyle he does, which in the end kills him. The father in the story commits suicide at the end of the story by jumping off his boat durning a storm. Many things contribute to his death such as the fact that he no longer wanted his son to follow in his footsteps as a fisherman, he was never really meant to be a fisherman in general and all together the father was just not happy with his life.
The father never wanted his son to follow in his footsteps and become a fisherman. He had always wanted his son to be able to go and get an education, unlike him. As soon as his son found out that his father was ill, he immediately spent everyday on the boat with his father, ruining his chances at getting the education he wanted so badly. Although the father never really shows much affection towards his son you can tell how much he really cares about him and is willing to take his own life to benefit his son's. Twice in the story the...

...How One’s Choices Affects Their Destiny
Tony Robbins once said, “It is in your moments of decision that your destiny is shaped.” A person’s choices affect their future. Everyone has some control over what happens and the decisions one makes will guide them through their life. Everyone is born with a purpose, and people must realize that the choices a person makes shapes ones future to fulfill their destiny.
An example of this is the novel The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho. In this story the boy Santiago is learning that he must follow his Personal Legend. The author shows how you have to follow your destiny and that the choices you make guides you along the path of your fate. At the opening of the story, Santiago, a young discontent shepherd, is sleeping under an old tree by an abandoned church. He had been having a dream of travelling and finding a treasure at the pyramids far away for many nights (Coelho). At first the boy does not believe in following his dreams because he does not want to take risks to go after them. Then one day a king disguised as a commoner tells him to follow his destiny or otherwise his life will never be fulfilled (Coelho). He calls this destiny one’s Personal Legend. He shows him examples of people who have put off their Personal Legend for a later time and never got back to it. They lived sad,...

...﻿Lauren Tremaglio
Prof. Shucter
Eng. 200
Narrative essay
I remember the ocean most of all. The way the black water reflected the stars like shinning glass and the waves keeping perfect time with our breathing. We were holding hands, energy soaking through our palms, into our bloodstream, from one person to the next. That moment burned so deeply into my senses I could still taste the wind when I’m reminiscing.
Saturday had just rolled into Sunday. We were caught in-between sound waves from the main stage and the green vibes stage. Those clashing melodies sang out like background music to a picture perfect movie scene. We stood at the edge of the ocean, faces skyward with tears streaming down our cheeks. I screamed and we howled as a tribe. That’s when I knew that they were my greatest friends - they are my family - and in that moment I became me.
Oh how those days changed me, bettered me, shaped me, awakened and strengthened me! Out of twenty years of life, those three days are the most significant thing that has ever happened to me. It was my first time at The Gathering of the Vibes. My closest friends were on their fourth or fifth year, and that fact had always made me feel left out. Actually, before that moment, left out was how I always felt. I always felt aloof, the one everybody put up with to be nice, yet secretly hated. The one who always asked to come along, never the one who got invited. I couldn’t even tell you how many times my friends have had to...